Gloves Are Off at Mercedes During the Canada F1 Sprint

      Mark Sutton via Getty

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      Mercedes-AMG drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli took the 1-2 positions at the start of Saturday’s Sprint race ahead of the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix. However, it only took about five laps for the young Italian to attempt to overtake for the lead—and he went all in.

      Both Mercedes cars sped down the back straight, but as they approached the chicane and final corner, Antonelli moved out to attempt a pass. Despite being right alongside the British driver, he wasn’t able to complete the maneuver and aimed to try again at Turn 1. On the outside, Antonelli attempted to overtake, but Russell closed the gap early and forced Antonelli off the track. It was an ambitious move that was always going to be difficult, and Antonelli would have been better off waiting—it wasn’t as if he was in a rush.

      The two Mercedes momentarily made contact, and Antonelli had to re-enter the track with cold tires, but surprisingly, he didn't lose much ground to Russell. The 19-year-old made another attempt, but once again failed, going off the grass and even catching some air as he navigated through the bumpy section. As a result of the in-team tussle, McLaren's Lando Norris caught up and swiftly passed Antonelli, pushing him down to third place.

      Antonelli immediately called in to complain about Russell’s actions, but team principal Toto Wolff quickly told him to concentrate on racing instead of complaining over the radio.

      Bryn Lennon via Getty

      “I was quite alongside, and there was definitely contact,” Antonelli stated after the race. “To be fair, that pass was definitely optimistic.

      “I think if you're well alongside, you should be able to overtake,” he responded to Russell’s claim that an outside pass at Turn 1 is very unlikely.

      “I didn’t race Kimi any harder than I would against anyone else. I need to review the footage, and there was nothing wrong with Kimi’s actions, so that's sufficient for now,” Russell commented when asked about Antonelli's attempt.

      Antonelli managed to catch up to Norris by the end of lap 18, nearly making contact at the hairpin, but soon lost his momentum and wouldn’t be in a position to attack until the final lap. He tried once more but misjudged his braking into Turn 1, had to cut the corner, and returned the position to Norris. Once again, Antonelli expressed his frustration over the radio, only to hear Wolff angrily reiterate that they would discuss the issues internally and not over the radio.

      This clash was always likely to occur, especially as it hadn’t happened sooner due to Russell being unable to close in on Antonelli, who had achieved victories in China, Japan, and Miami. Although this was merely a Sprint—making these antics seem even more trivial—it underscores the existing tension within the Mercedes garage.

      It will be intriguing to see how Wolff and the team leadership address the situation later. I can’t imagine they would let this play out again during Sunday’s main event.

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